The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transporting and manipulating flat image recording media from a flat loading station into a precise cylindrical plane for scanning thereof. It is particularly adapted for use with one or more of the following disclosures:
Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,088 issued June 12, 1973 entitled "Printing Plate Production Method and Apparatus" PA1 Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,853 issued July 3, 1973 entitled "Method of Forming a Relief Printing Plate" PA1 Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,779,779 issued Dec. 18, 1973 entitled "Radiation Etchable Plate" PA1 Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,659 issued June 11, 1974, entitled "Scanning Apparatus" PA1 Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,318 issued Mar. 21, 1976, entitled "Printing Plate Blank and Image Sheet by Laser Transfer" PA1 Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,145 issued Nov. 9, 1976, entitled "Method of Making a Printing Plate from a Porous Substrate" PA1 Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,918 issued Dec. 28, 1976 entitled "Printing Plate Made from a Porous Substrate" PA1 Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,205 issued Dec. 20, 1977 entitled "Method of Making a Printing Plate from a Porous Substrate" PA1 Landsman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,916 to be issued on Dec. 26, 1978 entitled "Pneumatically Actuated Image Scanning Reader/Writer".
Each of the foregoing references is assigned to the assignee of this application.
The present invention is particularly suited for use with the Pneumatically Actuated Image Scanning Reader/Writer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,916 and The Printing Plate Blank and Image Sheet by Laser Transfer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,318. In these earlier applications a grained aluminum printing plate is overlaid with a carbon black imaging mask and this pair of image receiving media is formed into a precise cylindrical plane for scanning by a focussed beam of energy from an infrared laser. Whenever the beam impacts upon the carbon black imaging sheet, the carbon black is transferred to the aluminum plate. To obtain the necessary resolution and transfer characteristics, it is necessary that the entire sandwich of materials be formed into a precise cylindrical plane with a maximum radial variation of less than plus or minus 0.007 inches.
The invention is particularly suited to the rapid burning of printing plates for use in newspaper or other high-volume printing applications, wherein it is desirable to rapidly and inexpensively produce aluminum printing plates direct from camera-ready art in the form of paste-up sheets and the like.